IMO anything less than a new No 1, ( Not Randolph IMO, don't need another injured player ) & need someone who is equal to a fit Fab - not sure Randloph is IMO..a new RB ( Love Zab- But we all know his best days are long gone, although a true professional ) a new CM & a new Striker ...Tall order I know, but we can't rely on Fab, Fredericks & Antonio, they have all proved to be pretty injury prone ( perhaps Fredericks to a lesser extent but still needs competition there ) & have not seen enough of Ben to say he's ready to step up when fit.. Anything less than these 4 positions filled by good/better than we have players IMO we will be in a hell of a dog fight to survive relegation this season. It's a tall order to do in the January window I know, but IMO has to be done.
I disagree about Fab as I think his hip injury was his first injury in years. However I do think that when a player has any kind of non minor injury at our club then that’s virtually them having a lifetime of problems. Our medical team never seem to get it right.
So why do we rush Fab back too early? Reports have been that he was having tests before the last couple games so couldn't have been 100%. Looks like AC had a point about our medical team. :doh:
I would like a keeper with the quality to be our number one and not just a good back up. I don't think Randolph is a premier keeper. A good reserve but no more than that. We need someone to challenge Fab... easier said than done in finding one though.
If the club genuinely has no budget for this window, then we need to consider selling Issa Diop. It's as simple as that. Yes, ideally we'd build round him, but we need cash & at the moment we simply don't have it, for whatever reason.
He's not first choice currently, has been in & out the side this season, & the jury is still very much out if he turns out to be a quality CB.
We need to prioritise other squad areas right now, mainly because we are in trouble & secondly because the owners need to back their manager & allow him to build his own squad.
I would be looking at getting a minimum of £50m (Man Utd, Chelsea Spurs all rumoured to be interested) & using the interest to drive the price up.
Baracks, if we'd have snapped up Pepe Reina, all you'd hear was how he's 37 and typical West Ham.
Certainly from some quarters. But in our predicament, even before last night, I suspect the majority would have been ok with it to see us through til the end of the season.
I mean, for a start he's fit. He's also been at a top club for years so clearly still has something about him.
And it's not going to happen very quickly. We will have probably played and unnecessarily conceded in 3 or 4 more games by the time someone is brought in.
The trouble we could possibly have is if we lose the next 3 games or so ( which unfortunately possible ) then it certainly takes away any attractiveness of coming here and clubs will put up prices on seeing our desperate State. We're in a pickle.
Stoke put a £20m price tag on Butland a couple of months ago but they're desperate to get his wages off their books and some cash in the bank so we might be able to haggle them down or do some sort of loan deal.
Rumour is Fernandes has chosen to join Spurs because they offered a bigger salary. Eleven days in and it appears to be shaping up to be a lot like other windows. Just waiting for Carlos Kickaball to arrive on the 31st along with Joe Allen.
Comments
Anything less than these 4 positions filled by good/better than we have players IMO we will be in a hell of a dog fight to survive relegation this season.
It's a tall order to do in the January window I know, but IMO has to be done.
Meanwhile at West Ham...
He's not first choice currently, has been in & out the side this season, & the jury is still very much out if he turns out to be a quality CB.
We need to prioritise other squad areas right now, mainly because we are in trouble & secondly because the owners need to back their manager & allow him to build his own squad.
I would be looking at getting a minimum of £50m (Man Utd, Chelsea Spurs all rumoured to be interested) & using the interest to drive the price up.
I mean, for a start he's fit. He's also been at a top club for years so clearly still has something about him.
At least acted quickly, as did spurs
Thus far us not acting has cost us a point
I’d get rid of yarmolenko too on top of Diop.
Try and then invest in a £15-£20m replacment c/b, someone like sander berg and jarod Bowen. And another keeper.
But I doubt any of this would happen though
But the ball has dropped, a new 1st team GK needs to join ASAP
Roberto and Martin have cost us points, point that have come from purely a lack of ability for the premier league standard